Tonya Rosebrook (Prineville) is a barrel racer with several generations of devoted rodeo contestants in her family. Her time is spent teaching the next generation of barrel racers and competing at local barrel racing events.
Bio
With several generations of rodeo contestants in her family, it’s not hard to figure how Tonya Rosebrook came by her competitive spirit. Her maternal grandfather fell in love with rodeo at an early age and first competed at age 29. That same grandfather purchased ranch property outside of Mt. Vernon, Oregon. By the 1970s, “The Clan” numbered five households, all in residence on the ranch. An indoor practice arena soon stood on the property, testimony to the family’s devotion to rodeo. Rosebrook began rodeoing “when I was still in my mother’s belly...you came out of the womb running barrels.” By the age of three she had learned to ride “Josie,” her mother’s horse. Rosebrook’s grandfather became her barrel racing coach. [We had] “amazing respect for each other,” she confided. “I am who I am because [my grandfather] pushed me so hard...to always be climbing that ladder to be better, not just settle for [average].” That meant going back to the family’s indoor arena to train even harder after rigorous competitions. After high school, Rosebrook feared she would be typecast as a barrel racer. She moved over to work cow horses in reining and cutting events. “I took 15 years doing that.” With a family deep into calf roping, steer wrestling, and barrel racing, Rosebrook knew she would eventually come back full circle. These days her time is split between teaching the next generation of barrel racers and competing at local “jackpot” events, where a $500 stake gives competitors a shot at the winner’s jackpot, which the top three riders share. Rosebrook laughed, “It’s truly my drug addiction, I think.”
